realfood festival Supports Local Campaigns

The realfood festival is a celebration of the produce and producers in the UK and abroad. But food policy and politics are such big issues now that they were also part of the event. There were thought provoking debates on the future of food, buying ethical food in today's economic climate and animal welfare.

The festival also supported a number of small charities and groups so that they could make their voices, and causes heard. lovefoodhatewaste is a government campaign to help consumers save money and protect the environment. It has eye-catching graphics and good simple information. Given that we throw away 6.7 million tons of food annually, which adds up to about £50 of food shopping, it's an important issue. Since the wasted food ends up in landfill sites rotting, it's even more important. Action Against Hunger is an international charity committed to delivering food and education to families and villages. The organisation has staff in 40 countries who carry out programs in nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, health, and advocacy. The research wing, Hunger Watch, is "focused on defining and measuring the magnitude of malnutrition and hunger and their impact on livelihoods around the world."

Image from Conservatives

The honest food campaign is sponsored by the Conservative party, but they do have a point. They believe that food labelled 'British' should be completely made in the UK. They are upset because meat from abroad can be imported into the country to be processed into bacon, sausages or pies and then labelled to suggest that it is British. It's nationalistic and domestic but it does protect British farmers and producers.

Image from Real Bread campaign

The real bread campaign is a group opposed to "industrial bakers who make the majority of the UK's bread, using methods that have little regard for its nutritional qualities or the environmental impact of its production." To be considered real bread, it must meet the following criteria: * is made from made from flour, water, yeast and salt (optional) * is made without 'improvers', additives or processing aids (including enzymes) * is made with other natural food ingredients such as nuts, fruits, vegetables and fats, only if these themselves contain no additives. realfood festivalMore on realfood festivalrealfood festival is realgood